DESCRIPTION (Applicant's Description): The purpose of this program is to train a new generation of researchers and educators in signal transduction mechanisms. Signal transduction is the means by which cells respond to internal and external stimuli. These controls regulate the physiology, metabolism and gene control of the cell. As such, the signal transduction is fundamental to all cells and is critical to the understanding of many pathologic states. In this program the applicants focus on training related to cancer; cancer has been termed a disease of aberrant signaling mechanisms. The program, however, is not limited to problems in cancer and involves many clinical problems and departments. Here the applicants propose that the training program faculty from the Departments of Medicine, Biochemistry, Physiology/Pharmacology and Microbiology/Immunology will be responsible for the didactic and research training of seven fellows. Four of these fellows will be predoctoral and three will be postdoctoral. The postdoctorals can have either the M.D. or Ph.D. degree. The program will be 4-5 years for predoctoral and 2-3 years for postdoctoral fellows. The facilities of the Departments involved plus those of the Comprehensive Cancer Center of Wake Forest University will be available to the trainees.